Teachers unions today warned they will strike if the Government forces crippling Croke Park II cuts on them.

The Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland and the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation confirmed they will ballot members if the coalition attempts to introduce pay cuts by legislation.

The three unions said the ballots will take place next month.

Sheila Nunan, general secretary of the INTO said: “Following the very strong rejection by teachers of the LRC proposals, the ball is now in the Government’s court.

“Any move to unilaterally cut teachers’ salaries or worsen working conditions will be strongly resisted up to and including strike action.”

TUI general secretary, John MacGabhann, added: “Teachers and lecturers objectively considered the LRC proposals and found them to be unbalanced and unfair.

“They [pay cuts] hit those in part-time, lowly paid work hardest, are regressive and are now, deservedly, dead in the water.

“We have an existing agreement and will continue to honour it. We expect government to do the same.

“If they choose not to we will take whatever industrial action is necessary.”

The coalition is examining what to do after furious unions rejected the deal.

It is deciding whether to introduce laws to force the deal on them, introduce a 7% pay cut or drag the other parties back to the talks.

Meanwhile, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said the Government should plough forward with its plans to legislate to force Croke Park II on workers.

The millionaire said the coalition should not pull back from its threat before the deal to create laws to make the unions accept the crippling proposals.

He said: “The Government should do what it said it was going to do - legislate and impose the pay cuts and efficiencies in the public sector.

“But I am pretty sure the Government will prove yet again they are spineless.”

Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore, however, said now is the time for reflection and not to be rushed into a decision.

He said the large No vote in sectors that employ high numbers of women, such as teaching, health and clerical positions, is being scrutinised.

Mr Gilmore said the Government needs to hear back from the unions on why their members rejected the deal.

“Everybody can speculate as to different reasons. And I suspect the reasons are probably varied. But we need to hear from the unions in the first instance as to what their assessment of this is.

“A feature of the public service generally is the high number of women who are employed in the public service. And that is right across the public service.

“But I think we need to hear the assessment that the unions make of the reasons why the agreement was voted down,” he added.

But Mr Gilmore said he didn’t know if the childcare impact was a factor.

“I don’t know. And to be honest at this stage I don’t think anyone knows. I think we do need to hear what their assessment is,” he said.